The Workers' Party (WP) is not ready to be the next government or an alternative one. But WP will continue to make sure that the Government does its work, said party chief Low Thia Khiang yesterday.

He was speaking to the media before going on a parade to thank Punggol East residents for choosing WP's Lee Li Lian.

The 34-year-old won last Saturday's by-election with 54.52 per cent of the votes. Her closest competitor, People's Action Party's (PAP's) Koh Poh Koon, 40, garnered 43.71 per cent of the votes.

Mr Low said: "I think we have a competent Government. Let's not throw (the baby out with the bath water)... I think it's only responsible for WP to work with the Government and hope that things would improve."

He added: "It is important (to have) political vibrancy. At the same time, it's also not productive to politicise everything."

WP's win in the by-election means it now holds seven of the 87 elected seats in Parliament, with the PAP controlling 80.

Despite the wide margin of WP's win, Mr Low said that the by-election results have to be viewed in perspective, and cannot be taken as "a trend in the future".

He explained: "It is not a General Election. People in Punggol East have no worries (that), if I vote some other way, I might accidentally throw out the Government."

Said Punggol East resident A. Y. Tan, 43, a housewife: "It's important to have an alternative voice. It's not that we don't support the ruling party. (For the ruling party), I think there's no harm in losing a seat."

Despite sleeping only at 3am yesterday, Ms Lee was ready with her signature toothy grin, enthusiastically greeting residents from a truck as it circled the neighbourhood. She said: "Now it's time for the hard work, I have three years to prove myself."

Her first Meet-the-People Session has been set for Feb 4.

Ms Lee's victory makes her the first woman opposition politician to win a Single Member Constituency seat since independence. Hoping to encourage more women and young people to join politics, she said: "I hope that the results last night will...let them know...every one of us, as long as we have the heart and the right attitude, can get it done."